What did you do on your layout today?

Mark Boyce posted:

So many great projects everyone! 

Paul, the gorge is looking great and so is the roadbed!  Speaking of roadbed, I got to spend a few minutes here and there this week on the lower of my planned turnback loops.  I liked the idea someone here on the Forum shared which is a variation of what Paul is doing.  I sprayed the cork roadbed with Rustoleum American Accents Stone Textured Finish.  

So the idea is that it looks a bit like ballast while building.  In the past I found I like to put in a lot of my scenery before ballasting.  This will look pretty good until I get to that point, and since I don't like ballasting, it would be presentable even if I never decide to ballast.

I had already cut and fitted all the track pieces, so I drilled holes for soldered jumpers to come up through the table and put all the track in place with what I think will be appropriate block gaps.  I had started using GarGraves pan head screws, but liked the idea of countersunk flathead screws.  While at McCormick's Hardware in Zelienople Pennsylvania last week to pick up my curved Ross switch, I asked for screws.  Jeff showed me these that he stocks just for my purpose.  I don't even need to paint the heads black.

So here is what I got down.  I have run a car over the track, and everything seems smooth.  I have not yet connected power to my taps.  Since the DCS is still in the other room powering the Ceiling Central RR, I'll just run some wire out with clip jumpers to test blocks until I get the gumption to move all the power for both this and the Ceiling Central RR to this room.

Mark

thats a great idea for ballast I like that layout plan also 

chris a posted:

Hey Lee,  the scene below actually belongs to GANDYDANCER....    I think I screwed up something when I copied and pasted Gandy's original post into a response,  to compliment him on the great work !!!!    Oh Well.. thought I should note my error. 

chris a posted:

 

Working on a small section of layout that passes through the laundry room/ workshop area and around the furnace. It is my representation of an area in Cleveland, Ohio called Tremont where I was born on Starkweather Ave. I modified it to look as to how it may have looked like in the late 1940's.....still a work in progress

owner, operator of The Cuyahoga Valley Short Line Railroad,

TTOS#8836

Very Cool scene,  great cars and trucks, keep going you're definitely onto something great there.   

Chris 

that sence looks great. I like the 1949s look 

Chris I might have messed up I get kinda confused on the thread sometimes when I’m tired no harm done 

paul 2 posted:

Mike g, I am with Jim. Did you try any other engines with the cars to see if the same thing happened. But in any case you made the right move to use 0-72 switches. Each day the layout is looking better.

Chris a, super job of the building and you created a great scene with the other buildings. 

CSX Al, you never cease to amaze. The Sawmill scene will be a head turner. Great job on the pond and buildings.

Now if I could just get the three of you to move next door to me I could get my layout done and looking good with the three of you doing it for me. Of course I would offer beer but only after the layout was completed. LOL

Between Friday and Saturday I didn't have much time for the layout. I had to set up at the train show Friday night and then spent Saturday trying to sell stuff. No luck on that came back home with what I brought but it was still a great day. It was a good show and a lot of families attended with small children ( future engineers ). Friday afteroon I got another Weaver TOFC from Beth at Public Delivery Track and on the layout I managed to get the culvert glued into place. Had a couple of scraps of plaster wrap to fill in the gap at the back of the culvert. This morning After changing the back of the river on the backdrop I applied Realistic water to the new area where I painted more green so that is done. I think one more day all the water will be clear in the bottom gorge and I can go about adding white water effects. Pics......Paul

 

Paul 2, Oak Harbor Freight Lines is a local  carrier here in Washington.  Oak Harbor is a town located on Whidby Island.

Larry

carsntrains posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

The old Cleveland neighborhood looks great, Gandydancer!!  What is it about Mail Pouch signs that just make you feel good?  Something form the past always stirs up good memories.

Mark I agree!   But I see something about snake handling?  I thought maybe that was a southern thing lol   Still a great looking scene!!!   And your section is looking good too!  

Paul your addition looks better at each step!  

Keven the display cases look good!  Some nice stuff you have loaded on them too!   

Started to add some lighting to the ceiling in the train room.   My plan of string lights from Harbor Freight didn't work out.  So now maybe some LED work lights??  

Jim 

 

Jim, Thank you.  I recall a place in the Allegheny National Forest in Northwest Pennsylvania that had snakes when I was growing up.  That's about the same latitude as Cleveland.

Mark Boyce posted:

So many great projects everyone! 

Paul, the gorge is looking great and so is the roadbed!  Speaking of roadbed, I got to spend a few minutes here and there this week on the lower of my planned turnback loops.  I liked the idea someone here on the Forum shared which is a variation of what Paul is doing.  I sprayed the cork roadbed with Rustoleum American Accents Stone Textured Finish.  

So the idea is that it looks a bit like ballast while building.  In the past I found I like to put in a lot of my scenery before ballasting.  This will look pretty good until I get to that point, and since I don't like ballasting, it would be presentable even if I never decide to ballast.

I had already cut and fitted all the track pieces, so I drilled holes for soldered jumpers to come up through the table and put all the track in place with what I think will be appropriate block gaps.  I had started using GarGraves pan head screws, but liked the idea of countersunk flathead screws.  While at McCormick's Hardware in Zelienople Pennsylvania last week to pick up my curved Ross switch, I asked for screws.  Jeff showed me these that he stocks just for my purpose.  I don't even need to paint the heads black.

So here is what I got down.  I have run a car over the track, and everything seems smooth.  I have not yet connected power to my taps.  Since the DCS is still in the other room powering the Ceiling Central RR, I'll just run some wire out with clip jumpers to test blocks until I get the gumption to move all the power for both this and the Ceiling Central RR to this room.

Mark, looking good! Great idea to use the accents spray paint. Inspiring!

What did I do on my layout today?? Glad you asked ...

1. FINALLY figured out my wiring problem! Bought the old OGR wire from Mr Muffin's Trains and wired into a 24-port MTH terminal. 
2. Installed a DCS Explorer (my TIU I believe has a bad channel). Worked great!
3. Took all 12 switches off of Track Power and put them onto a separate accessory circuit. 
4. Documented everything! (see attached shot of the lock-on inventory I created. 
5. Ran trains and did some minor scenic work!

What a pleasure it is when the signal is strong and the shorts are gone! - Dr Joe

Mark,  Nice idea pre-painting the roadbed.   The countersunk screws look great and getting them already "blacked out" is really nice.     Good things happen to those with patience, glad that you are finally laying down track.    

Thank you Lee. Looks good Mark. I like your use of textured spray paint. Glad to see progress on laying track too. Joe, sometimes the simple things are the most satisfying in the long run. 

Andy

Ha! Pretty startling effects, Brian.

Lew

               thanks Lew !

briansilvermustang posted:

    

               thanks Lew !

 

 

 

 

I like that one the best in black and white!

Jim

You’ve outdone yourself Brian! 

Andy

       thanks Andy !

Dr. Joe, Thank you.  I'm glad you got your wiring problem figured out.  In the telecom business we had a saying for business customer data circuits that ran over 4 wires; 2 transmit, 2 receive.  That saying goes, "How can just 4 wires be so confusing?"  So many times the wires would get mixed up from building to building in the field and from room to room at the customer site!

Chris, Thank you!  Yes, and while waiting there was time to think through some ideas and problems.

Andy, Thank you!

Brian, Outstanding!!!  

          thanks Mark !

Mark Boyce posted:

Dr. Joe, Thank you.  I'm glad you got your wiring problem figured out.  In the telecom business we had a saying for business customer data circuits that ran over 4 wires; 2 transmit, 2 receive.  That saying goes, "How can just 4 wires be so confusing?"  So many times the wires would get mixed up from building to building in the field and from room to room at the customer site!

 

Mark, years ago while at Microsoft we bought a company in NYC that made a business out of tracing old customer trunk lines in Manhattan. Ma Bell had long before lost track of them, but customers were still being billed. A New York State statute was passed that awarded up to 3 years of refunds if a defunct trunk line was identified. The business we bought charged 50% of that amount as a finder's fee. 

I would have gladly paid someone 50% of the cost I incurred in solving my wiring problem! What with the DCS Explorer, the cost of wire from Mr Muffin's Trains (a good investment no matter what), and my time, it would have added years to my life. :-)

Lew, looks like you will need to bring in some loads of fill for the new siding.  Great idea!

I remember the manure for Moonlight Mushroom which was located in an old limestone mine.  One day back in the late '70s or early '80s I was in the Butler unemployment office when you had to appear every week to file your claim, and a lot of people came in from Moonlight Mushroom after a layoff. The place continued in business for I don't recall how long.  The old B&O, now Buffalo and Pittsburgh tracks are right at the bottom of my hill.  Small world!

LaramieJoe posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Dr. Joe, Thank you.  I'm glad you got your wiring problem figured out.  In the telecom business we had a saying for business customer data circuits that ran over 4 wires; 2 transmit, 2 receive.  That saying goes, "How can just 4 wires be so confusing?"  So many times the wires would get mixed up from building to building in the field and from room to room at the customer site!

 

Mark, years ago while at Microsoft we bought a company in NYC that made a business out of tracing old customer trunk lines in Manhattan. Ma Bell had long before lost track of them, but customers were still being billed. A New York State statute was passed that awarded up to 3 years of refunds if a defunct trunk line was identified. The business we bought charged 50% of that amount as a finder's fee. 

I would have gladly paid someone 50% of the cost I incurred in solving my wiring problem! What with the DCS Explorer, the cost of wire from Mr Muffin's Trains (a good investment no matter what), and my time, it would have added years to my life. :-)

Dr. Joe, My company connects to Verizon, formerly Bell Telephone, in Downtown Pittsburgh.  Yes, I am aware of the same problem where trunks and now even fiber optic data circuits that no one is using but still being billed.  It came up a few years ago when we were selling a building in the outer suburbs that had lines into Verizon and we had to monitor then work out the legal/financial details before we could remove the last remnants.  Installers have what they call "drive by removals" where they are too lazy or are too pressed for time to go into a business and remove the wiring and router.  They pull the jumpers on our end and sign it off.  That causes confusion down the road.

Some of the most troublesome problems are ones we make for ourselves.  Sometimes, you just have to do what you did.  I am wondering if a more recent photograph would show you have less hair.  I know I have less hair than the 4-year old mug shot I have in my profile!  

Mark Boyce posted:

Lew, looks like you will need to bring in some loads of fill for the new siding.  Great idea!

I remember the manure for Moonlight Mushroom which was located in an old limestone mine.  One day back in the late '70s or early '80s I was in the Butler unemployment office when you had to appear every week to file your claim, and a lot of people came in from Moonlight Mushroom after a layoff. The place continued in business for I don't recall how long.  The old B&O, now Buffalo and Pittsburgh tracks are right at the bottom of my hill.  Small world!

Mark, my Dad worked for the BR&P before it was bought out by the B&O. He went to high school in Butler and did the commute from Adrian by train. 

Moonlight Mushrooms is still a going concern, called Creekside Mushrooms now. Back-in-the-day I delivered Lance crackers to the lunchroom in the mine. I drove my truck right into the mine and IIRC it was a half mile or more to the lunchroom.

Indeed a small world. I worked for George Kerr for several years as an appliance tech.

Lew

After owning and operating Williams locos for more than 20 years today I finally had to replace a couple of traction tires.  This is a regular occurrence with the other brands I own, first time ever for one of my Williams.

geysergazer posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Lew, looks like you will need to bring in some loads of fill for the new siding.  Great idea!

I remember the manure for Moonlight Mushroom which was located in an old limestone mine.  One day back in the late '70s or early '80s I was in the Butler unemployment office when you had to appear every week to file your claim, and a lot of people came in from Moonlight Mushroom after a layoff. The place continued in business for I don't recall how long.  The old B&O, now Buffalo and Pittsburgh tracks are right at the bottom of my hill.  Small world!

Mark, my Dad worked for the BR&P before it was bought out by the B&O. He went to high school in Butler and did the commute from Adrian by train. 

 

Moonlight Mushrooms is still a going concern, called Creekside Mushrooms now. Back-in-the-day I delivered Lance crackers to the lunchroom in the mine. I drove my truck right into the mine and IIRC it was a half mile or more to the lunchroom.

Indeed a small world. I worked for George Kerr for several years as an appliance tech.

Lew

Smaller world.  My maternal grandfather was a fireman for the B&O after he returned from serving with the Marines in the Philippines.  He must have worked for the railroad about 10 years until he enlisted again when the US entered World War I.  He used to run a route from Pittsburgh the whole way to Mt. Jewett on the BR&P.  He was disabled in the war and passed on before I was born.

Yes, that is correct about Creekside Mushrooms, I forgot who came in.  George Kerr!  Yes, we bought something from them at one time.  So where do you live now?

Mark

Our Daughter lives in Western Mass (Berkshires) and was after us to move close to them so in 2015 we sold our house in the South Hills and bought a house in the Berkshires. It is a small Cape Cod with the two upstairs bedrooms having the stairs in the one. So now she has a sewing room and I finally have a train room.

Lew

Mark, the cork looks good doing it that way and you track is starting to take shape. Hope through the week you can tackle more.

Brian, you people always amaze me with what you can do with your computers. A whole new way to display your  trains.

This morning I mixed up my witches brew LOL glue and water plus dawn and got two coats of glue on the ballast. Now I have to find my acrylic paints to see what I have and what I may need to do the backdrop. I have to make a run to Michaels to get some needed brushes and thinner. Pics..............Paul

Mark Boyce posted:

Some of the most troublesome problems are ones we make for ourselves.  Sometimes, you just have to do what you did.  I am wondering if a more recent photograph would show you have less hair.  I know I have less hair than the 4-year old mug shot I have in my profile!  

Amen to that! No need for pictures. I have only to check my pillow each morning :-)

         thanks Paul  !      your new bridge scene area is looking GREAT !!!

geysergazer posted:

Our Daughter lives in Western Mass (Berkshires) and was after us to move close to them so in 2015 we sold our house in the South Hills and bought a house in the Berkshires. It is a small Cape Cod with the two upstairs bedrooms having the stairs in the one. So now she has a sewing room and I finally have a train room.

Lew

Lew, That sounds great!  Close to your daughter, sewing room, train room!  Excellent!

paul 2 posted:

Mark, the cork looks good doing it that way and you track is starting to take shape. Hope through the week you can tackle more.

Brian, you people always amaze me with what you can do with your computers. A whole new way to display your  trains.

This morning I mixed up my witches brew LOL glue and water plus dawn and got two coats of glue on the ballast. Now I have to find my acrylic paints to see what I have and what I may need to do the backdrop. I have to make a run to Michaels to get some needed brushes and thinner. Pics..............Paul

Paul, Thank you very much!!  I was excited to get a start.  Yours is looking great!!

Mark Boyce posted:

 

 

 

Some of the most troublesome problems are ones we make for ourselves.  Sometimes, you just have to do what you did.  I am wondering if a more recent photograph would show you have less hair.  I know I have less hair than the 4-year old mug shot I have in my profile!  

No problem, Mark! You only put marble on top of valuable furniture!

Run mine Boston & Maine Transformer Express.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Run mine Boston & Maine Transformer Express.

 

Great photo as always.

Excellent photograph, Johan!

Repaired a railcar for the first time. This searchlight car (which never existed) uses couplings that were last used nine years ago. The searchlight works, but the contacts press the wheels so hard that it makes the wheels (on the loco that is pushing it) spin. One set of wheels had come off, and with a pair of needle-nose pliers I put them back on.

Dave Ripp. posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Run mine Boston & Maine Transformer Express.

 

Great photo as always.

Dave: Thanks.

Johan

Mark Boyce posted:

Excellent photograph, Johan!

Mark: Thank you.

Johan

Johan, you always post great pics.

Slow afternoon. I laid down glue again on the ballast. Then decided to paint the side of the stairs over the track which was still white. Still looking for my paints. Sure not going to go to the store until I know what I have or don't have. Pic.................Paul

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Run mine Boston & Maine Transformer Express.

 

WOW look at all them STATE OF MAINE cars!    Looks great!  And what is that big thing your train is hauling.  A generator for a dam?  Steam power generation?  

Jim

paul 2 posted:

Johan, you always post great pics.

Slow afternoon. I laid down glue again on the ballast. Then decided to paint the side of the stairs over the track which was still white. Still looking for my paints. Sure not going to go to the store until I know what I have or don't have. Pic.................Paul

Paul: Thank you. Well, usually scenery works take`s a time. Your layout and scenery looking better and better. Good work. 

Johan

carsntrains posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Run mine Boston & Maine Transformer Express.

 

WOW look at all them STATE OF MAINE cars!    Looks great!  And what is that big thing your train is hauling.  A generator for a dam?  Steam power generation?  

Jim

Jim: Thank you. This diesel generator going to Port of Shark Bay, where they load that to the barge…….

Johan

Mark, Joe, I’ve seen it from the other side of things. I used to work for Verizon, and I’ve been in many customer buildings and their data rooms. The customer records are so fouled up, they don’t let us touch anything. As a result, they wind up paying for circuits that are no longer in use. So, they blame us . Nice progress Paul, every little bit counts. Johan, I really enjoy your posts. Your work is top notch.

Andy